Of Midnights and Candy Kisses
by Rakusa
Summary: It sounds like it'd be a waff, but it is and isn't... It takes place in Crystal Tokyo and Mamoru and Usagi take some time to reevaluate their relationship, each other, and themselves... and the child they gave birth to, and the past. Hiatus, do not worry.
1. Chapter 1

Of Midnights and Candy Kisses

4/4/08

A side note that has nothing at all to do with this story: I think its funny everyone has Mamoru studying to be a doctor, when some say he hates hospitals after the accident; others say he wants to help others in a way he wasn't helped. I don't think he was going to be a doctor, I mean that was Ami's dream and while there can be two and that is something they can talk to each other about, I doubt it still. I mean they are both so smart; they can do anything they want to. Ami makes sense in following her mom's footsteps but I think Mamoru was something else.

AN: this is an oddity for me, recently I've been very interested in the neo-tokyo era, the crystal Tokyo as it were, and usually I stick to silver millennium with a twist or first season. I tried dabbling in R season, didn't feel it and went back. Recently as well, I haven't uploaded yet, but I've been messing with S season or was it super S? I'm not that strong in it because I have only a vague recollection of what went on, so it'll be a while before I put that out, I'm trying to make it the best I can. However, this one, is the second or third I've attempted of this season slash nonseason, considering the manga ended with the wedding. (Also an oddity because of my hatred for the brat Rini). I think the reason I like doing these now is because I can morph this timeline into anything I want to do. I can add demando, I can take him out, I can push him off, I can have him over and done with. I can add another child, I can destroy Rini or I can change her character completely. I can have her go to the past, or not at all. I can have her go once, them never knowing she's their daughter and never to return to mess with their relationship again. I love the power I have as an author to take characters I love and morph them into my own crazy thoughts. Interestingly enough, the ones of crystal Tokyo all seem to focus on the child, and I'm also keen recently to Darien's thoughts. I figure it's partly because the male mind is such a mystery to a woman that we try to reason it out, even though that is one mystery that we'll never fully solve, but then again, we'll never truly figure out our own gender either. We can only write what's in our hearts. So with that said, I think it was enough of a summary to guide you into my story, so here it goes.

Chapter 1

"Mamo-chan." Usagi whined as she turned over and pushed at her lumbering husband. "It's your turn."

A squeal echoed throughout their room, coming from the baby-moniter on the night stand to give her words a more emphasis.

"I quite clearly remember its yours." Mamoru snorted in his sleep, having a child was more work than he thought it would. This was the third time tonight, and it was already midnight, it had been going on since the little tike learned it had lungs and that it could use them to her best capability, just like her mother, for the last four months.

The first two Mamoru had jumped up at the smallest whimper and took care of it, not wanting to disturb his peaceful wife, who he was still worried would suddenly collapse on him after that long and difficult pregnancy.

Ami had suggested not trying for another kid any time soon.

His dedication got old, and fast.

Besides, after recovering as fast as she could, Usagi too had wanted to see her child, worrying over ever small detail, just like her husband, a total change for Usagi but everyone was proud of her vested interest in her child. That too had quickly died and it had become a whose-turn game.

Usagi clearly remembered getting out of bed five minutes ago to feed the girl who came out of her womb; she'd even looked at the clock. It was most definitely her husband's turn and she pushed him again. "I don't think so." She said with a little bit of an edge in her voice.

Mamoru opened one eye to look at his wife and he sighed, there would be no winning this one. He rolled out of bed and went to go check on his little bundle of joy. It wasn't an angry thought, just at times like these he doubted he'd ever get the hang of this whole father thing, he wasn't even sure now if he wanted to be one if this is what it was going to be like for the rest of his life.

He turned the corner and walked into his daughter's nursery. She'd been a complete surprise. They hadn't been planning on having kids for another couple of years but despite Usagi being on birth-control and him using a condom, here she was. He didn't regret it, when those baby lids opened and pierced him with that deep blue gaze that almost looked green at times, under the long black eye-lashes, he melted every time and just wanted to hold her close.

He loved his daughter with all his being. Her mother on the other hand-

He shook his head, her mother and his wife was the sole light in his universe, without her, he'd be completely lost, even without a child, he'd have been content just to hold her and never let her go, because she was his family. He wanted to have a large family, but he'd doubt if that would happen now.

Not just because of Ami's warning.

That scared him though, but not as much as the pain Usagi seemed to have gone through during this labor. It seemed unnatural but Rei had teased him and said that's what all husbands thought, and all mothers. Except he'd seen Rei and Ami share a look, like they knew something more was going on. The fact that Ami had to eventually give Usagi sedatives and watched her closely for the next week also spoke volumes.

They also didn't allow Usagi to feed her daughter for awhile, saying Usagi needed to regain her own strength before allowing her to help her daughter. They bottle fed her and kept her in the natal care unit, NiCU. Mamoru had watched all this with a quiet but thoughtful manner, trying to figure out exactly what was going on, which they refused to tell him.

Usagi had been early too.

Rini, named for Rei, had come too early, a full two months early. Rini was seven months and twelve days to term. She was tiny like her mother, and he wondering why it happened. Usagi hadn't told him what transpired to make her go into labor so early. He'd tried gently coaxing it out of her and tricking her into telling him but nothing would get her to say. He didn't ask outright, for fear of a negative reaction. Usagi was still a little emotional and sometimes he feared for her wellbeing.

As far as he could tell, no one else knew either. He'd asked Rei outright, but she only shook her head sadly and said she hadn't the slightest clue.

But Rei had been honored to be named after for Rini. Makoto and Ami were her godmothers. Usagi had thought it only fair considering Minako had been her maid of honor at her wedding.

Usagi was going to move onto the outers very soon, she figured Setsuna should have been a godmother, but she'd talked to the woman a long time ago and knew that Setsuna would have been happy, but knew she couldn't take up that job; it was a hard job to follow through with her career already.

He checked out Rini before rocking her back to sleep and putting her down in her bed. At four months, she was getting pretty big and Mamoru smiled at the pink-toned hair poking out from the top of her head. It was an interesting shade of strawberry blond.

Ami knocked on the door and he turned to the sleepy doctor with surprise.

"Ami, what are you doing here?" He asked looking over her form; she was wearing a terry-cloth robe over sleep pants and slippers.

"The girls and I have decided to take turns every midnight to relieve you guys of getting up, but I guess this shift I over-slept." She laughed, embarrassed. "It just goes to show how good I am at this. The other girls will make fun of me because they don't go to bed until almost one and I go a lot earlier."

"Thank you." Mamoru sighed as he looked down at his sleeping child but shook his head. "This is something Usako and I need to be able to handle."

"That's another thing." Ami looked down and Mamoru walked towards her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him in surprise; she hadn't meant to say anything.

"What is this other thing?"

Ami's eyes shot to the baby-moniter where Usagi could no doubt hear them.

"She's sound asleep." Mamoru told her gently.

"Even so, I'd like to discuss this outside."

The palace grounds were covered by guards, but there was a special block on this door, nobody feared for an attack, but Mamoru knew better than to be blind to the possibility of an uprising, or using their daughter against them. The same block was on each of the senshi's rooms and theirs too. Only those with permission were allowed to enter and exit those rooms. The permission granted was to a small few in numbers, those that could be trusted implicitly.

Ami and the girls were allowed. He learned a long time ago that these girls weren't going anywhere, no matter how awkward the moment sometimes, he thought with a smile.

"I think the girls and I should help because of the complications with Usagi- it'd be best if she didn't strain herself for awhile."

"It's been four months since she gave birth." He reminded Ami.

"I know, but I checked her out the other day and while she's healing well and obviously faster than normal, she hasn't completely done so and I'd like her to relax a little more and get better sleep. I know she won't like being separated from her child anytime soon and we won't be, but I still would like her to get at least four hours of uninterrupted sleep a night."

Mamoru nodded and looked at Ami thoughtfully. "What are you not telling me?"

"What do you mean?" Ami asked trying to look anywhere but at him.

"I know there was some type of complication you aren't telling either us about, but Rei knows, doesn't she?"

"I'm not sure Usagi can have another child." Ami replied and when Mamoru opened his mouth to ask another question, Ami cut him off hurriedly, she thought she heard Usagi stirring. "I don't mean she can't conceive one, but I'm not sure if she'll be able to go full term again. Rini wasn't even full term, I know, but she should have, and if Usagi does go full term-" Ami broke off with a furative glance towards the door next to them, but it remained undisturbed.

"If Usa goes full term, what?"

"She might die." Ami answered and looked Mamoru in the eyes. "Do you understand now why I was hesitating to tell you about it but knew I needed to?"

"Yes." Mamoru said tightly, he wasn't angered at Ami, but he did feel like putting his fist through a wall. Anything that threatened Usagi's life made him furious, except this time there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'm sorry." Ami whispered and straightened, she'd woken up completely since running into him. "Rei told me not to tell you because this was just a fluke and with Usagi's healing she might be able to, nobody knows for sure, but I had to warn you of the implications. I also needed to tell you why the girls and I decided to help out more than the occasional baby-sitting."

Mamoru nodded in dismissal and Ami bowed her head and then took off down the hallway as fast as she could, she hadn't meant to tell him any of this tonight and she wasn't sure if it came out the way she meant it, but during the next few weeks, she'd find out if he took it the wrong way or as she meant him to.

Mamoru entered through the main door and not the one that connected Rini's nursery to theirs. Usagi stirred, she wasn't expecting the light that came from the hallway and Mamoru winced, he didn't think about the low sconces.

"What did Ami want?" Usagi mumbled, still half asleep.

"Nothing, she was wondering if she and the girls could take over the midnight shift." Mamoru answered and he slid into bed along his wife and pulled her into his arms.

"Oh." Usagi drifted. "That's nice of them." He knew the second she fell back asleep.

"It is nice of them." He agreed in his low voice. He kissed the top of her head and held her close as he stared at the ceiling, thinking and making decisions. When Usagi wiggled a little in her sleep, he relaxed as she settled back down and he slowly fell to sleep even though his mind was still running in circles.

His thoughts followed him into his dreams and his dreams followed him into the morning and throughout the next day.

Usagi noticed but didn't say anything as she worked with the latest conflict and those involved.


	2. Chapter 2

!-- page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --

Chapter 2

Rini was a year old. Usagi looked at her daughter as she took unstable steps but she was sure of herself. She was also talking. The year old was strong and nothing Usagi ever was in her life. Usagi was proud of the little girl who she gave birth to, she'd never told Mamoru why this little one had come too soon, and she wouldn't if she could help it. But the girl was stronger and making progress as if she was full term.

Usagi looked to her mother in this life-time, and perhaps a woman she deemed more of a motherly figure in her life. Selene had sacrificed her life and loved her daughter fiercely but growing up Serenity hadn't had much contact with the mother she envied. Even then Serenity was a weak imitation of the strength her family heritage needed. Her mother looked delicate but had the grace of the generations before her and she also had the strength to send everyone to the future when the world around her was falling down around her and her daughter was so weak as not to live without her love and killed herself. Selene was a woman Usagi was proud to call her mother.

However Ikuko was the warm, motherly figure Usagi wanted her daughter to have and call grandma. One she was glad of growing up herself to have the love and support of who was there to protect her and guide her when she was unsure. She actually had two of those figures, Luna was another one.

Luna would be like a grandma to Rini as well, but less so and more of a return to traditional advisor to her daughter as she would be advising Usagi throughout these coming years. Artemis as well, but he was never that close to Usagi in the first place, they got along and he liked her well enough but his loyalties, Usagi suspected truly lied with Minako and anything she decided to do he'd try to advise against but in the end go with her. He was a typical cat in that respect.

Their kitten would be Rini's friend and conscious, Usagi was sure. She'd spotted the cat every once in awhile when they came to visit, the gray cat who could talk could only be Luna and Artemis's. They didn't know Rini was their child when they came; just that they had to help Rini's parents and save her mother.

Usagi was smart enough to put together the queen and king they were saving was Rini's parents and that made Mamoru and her, her parents.

They didn't see her again until the day Usagi was forced into labor. Rini was also getting better at not seeing Usagi and Mamoru for longer and longer periods of time. Usagi hoped that would hold true for tonight.

Mamoru had not touched her for the last six months. She'd missed it desperately. Sure he hugged her and kissed her cheeks, her forehead, and occasional a slight peck on the lips but he feigned that he was busy with work and that they hardly saw each other as it was, was accurate, Usagi grudgingly allowed. He did seem too, a lot more tired recently. After the girls had started taking care of the midnight shift for a couple of months until Rini stopped crying her eyes out at every moment, they both had been getting better sleep.

Everyone seemed fine.

That was another thing Usagi regretted though, because of being a queen, she was doing what her mother had done with her, saw her the spare moments she could. Usagi took Rini with her to a lot of the less pressing delegate meetings and other events and functions where a one year old was either fawned over or not a nuisance. Selene had been on her own, Rini at least saw her father every once in awhile, as much as she saw her mother.

Usagi could not fault Mamoru for that; he at least made an effort with his daughter. She was determined to find out what was wrong with her and why he stopped being interested in her since she gave birth their child. Maybe she had gained a little weight from the pregnancy? She hadn't been as active the first couple of months, she had hurt and even until a few months ago, Usagi had felt a pain every once in awhile. Now she was a lot better and she believed she was fully healed.

So Usagi looked up to her mother with a smile, her mother's hair was turning bluer than normal before it turned to a grayish-white.

Her mother was human and grew at the normal pace. Usagi sighed sadly, her life would continue until it was her time. Usagi almost envied that life; she on the other hand had not aged for the last ten years. Her younger brother was now older than her physically.

Ikuko played with her granddaughter with a soft smile on her face. She received the weird hair colors that the women in her family were known for. Hers was a purplish blue brown and her daughter's- she looked at Usagi and found her daughter watching her, Usagi blushed at being caught and looked instead at Rini. Her daughter's hair was blond, a strange color to be in Tokyo by two Japanese, but Ikuko wasn't worried, neither was Kenji, it was tradition for the girl to have an odd color. Now her granddaughter, she had almost pink hair in her blond-ish mane that was now passed her chin.

"I'd love to take her with us tonight and watch her." Ikuko told her daughter and Usagi returned her gaze back to her mother.

"Thank you, Ikuko-mama." Usagi grinned. "You have no idea what this means to me."

"I have an idea." Ikuko smiled back, she'd had two kids and knew the pressures they put on a marriage. "Say- Usagi-chan." She questioned and Usagi focused on her mother fully and nodded. "This is a little personal, but when was the last time you and Mamoru-san had sex?"

"Mama!" Usagi cried in shock, her mother had never talked to her this candidly about it before, always using subtly when she suspected Usagi and Mamoru were having sex when they first started dating. It hadn't been that early in their relationship, but Usagi listened to her mother's advice and allowed her to bring her to the gynecologist and got birth control pills then, just incase and was also told not to let her father know a thing about anything.

"Well?" Ikuko waited.

"More than a year."

"What?" Ikuko was surprised Mamoru had kept his hands to himself that long. "Did you guys have sex while you were pregnant?"

"Sometimes, Mamoru was afraid despite Ami's assurance that it wouldn't hurt me or the baby."

"I thought having sex around your due-date was a surefire way to getting the baby on time."

"It's a myth momma, but we were having sex up until the seventh month." Usagi bit her lip, she didn't like speaking this way to anyone and her mother just made it that much more _awkward_. "Then after the birthing complications he reasonably left me alone for awhile. He seemed like he was ready to try it again after I was getting better and moving it there myself, but he's always concerned something will happen to me. What I don't get is why it's been such a long time, when I was getting to that point; he suddenly just stopped anything that would be considered leading to that point."

"Maybe he thinks you don't want it?" Ikuko suggested, Kenji had been a little concerned, but they'd talked it through soon after Usagi was born and the time Shingo was, well, he could hardly wait to get trying for that third child, one that never came, but they had fun trying anyways. They still had fun trying, even knowing that it'd never happen. Ikuko had given Kenji's mother the kids some nights to baby-sit, she'd enjoyed the time with them, and so had her mother. Now it was Ikuko's turn to fulfill that unspoken desire in her daughter's eyes.

She'd get more time with her grandkids than she ever imagined, and soaked it in gladly, but also sadly that Mamoru's mother couldn't enjoy the little pink-haired child as well. But everything might have turned out differently if he'd had parents.

Ikuko reached over and hugged her daughter when tears began to sparkle in those crystal orbs. "It'll be all right, I'm sure it will be."

Usagi nodded and hugged her mother back, there was nothing like the love from a mother, and the comfort she gave.

Usagi pulled away shortly and gave her mom a reassuring smile, knowing she'd worry anyways and then stood up and hugged her daughter tightly to her and then kissed her cheek. "You're going to be staying with Ikuko-mama ok Rini? You'll be back tomorrow; you want to stay with grandma don't you?"

Rini looked at her with blue eyes so much like her fathers that Usagi froze thinking he was looking at her with that gaze, the knowing one. Rini nodded and a huge smile broke across her face. "I want to be with Grandma!" Rini shouted and then wriggled free of Usagi's arms and went to be picked up by her grandmother and Ikuko picked her up to receive a strong hug. Ikuko and Usagi shared a smile and Ikuko winked before walking off toward her home that was just down the street.

Usagi checked her watch, her mother's visit screwed up her time-table, she just didn't want to go, she was enjoying the non-expecting company of her mother. Usagi looked around the still, peaceful and best of all, empty gardens and started laughing and then spun around until she got dizzy. She sat down hard but she was happy- she was very content with just being here. However she knew she had to go, that she had duties to take care of.

Usagi got up, brushed herself off and went to work.

It was a long rest of the day and by the time she ended, it was almost ten o'clock at night.

When she got to her room, Mamoru looked at her in concern. "Why do you let them run you so late?" He demanded. "I thought we agreed neither of us would work after eight."

Usagi shrugged her shoulders wearily, after today she was tired, but she was also determined, she'd go through with her plans. Mamoru rubbed his hands together and rubbed her shoulders. "I got delayed and since I took such a long personal time, I figured I could devote more time to work, I'm sorry." Usagi replied and moaned when his hands found tender spots and his ministrations were putting her to sleep.

"I waited for you before going to tuck in Rini and retrieving her from Makoto. I swear that woman is teaching her bad things-" Mamoru gripped. "Do you want to go with me?"

Usagi waved her arm; she was already almost asleep without realizing it and didn't hear anything Mamoru just said. He sighed and picked up his wife and deposited her in the bed.

When he was walking away to go, she registered what he'd said to her and she grabbed his arm. "Makoto doesn't have her." Usagi explained when Mamoru looked down at the hand on his arm.

"Oh really?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, Usagi was now wide-awake. "Where is she?"

"She's with my mother for the night."

"Why?" Mamoru questioned, he didn't know his grandparents and that Rini was with them for the night confused him.

"Because she's Rini's grandmother and they want to get to know each other better." Usagi explained and then smiled slyly at him. "And I want to get to know you better again." She pulled him towards her and he came willingly, putting a knee on the bed and leaning over her, and she leaned up to kiss him passionately.

He didn't have anything to do with the fact she pulled him so fast he lost balance and she rolled over on top of him and kissed him again and started undressing him.

He lost his inward battle with himself and allowed his need for her override him. He soaked her in, relished every feel of her, her skin, her curves. She was bigger in certain areas than she used to be, even when she was pregnant. They joined and Mamoru savored the pleasure he released in her and kissed her deeply as they crashed together.

Usagi laid her head on his chest and drifted off to sleep, knowing he already was fast asleep. The clock on the nightstand read midnight and she couldn't remember a time she was happier.

When Mamoru woke up in the morning and he looked at his precious wife, he smiled in remembrance of the night before and at the beauty of her just lying there, then he _remembered_. Mamoru checked her visually for any signs that it hurt her and rest assured that she wasn't going to die on him right then and there; he groaned in frustration and wanted to pull his hair out and scream, he was an idiot and he made the biggest mistake of all, one he was trying to avoid. He was a fool who succumbed to his most basic instincts and desires.

He pulled her naked body close to him and rested his cheek against hers, her breathing brushed his ear and he just enjoyed the feel of her close to her. He vowed nothing would happen or come of that last nights joining. He'd have to talk to Ami when would be the earliest to check for pregnancy.

He knew that Usagi was still on birth-control and he hadn't used any additional protection the night before.

He couldn't corner Ami for several more nights, and he had to shun Usagi's advances one night, and he even pulled himself out of bed and took his pillow and a blanket and headed into the study to sleep on the couch.

He knew he was hurting Usagi's feelings but he couldn't let it be a repeat of the previous night, he just couldn't.

Usagi had reached for Mamoru but he pushed away her hand and even got out bed! She cried herself to sleep that night, he'd only allowed himself to sleep with her before because he needed to release the need, it wasn't because he still desired _her, _but for pure enjoyment and for his release.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

AN: First off, thank you to all my reviewers for their... um... reviews, for lack of a better word and having to repeat myself in one sentence... I enjoyed knowing I have some reviewers after all, and for only two chapters! So thank you, and I'm sorry to leave you waiting so long for the next chapter. I've had other projects that have pulled me away. Secondly, Dear Squirtle, thank you for your review in particular, but you seem to be missing a very important point: I know Sailor Moon universe inside and out, and the fact that it's Chibi-Usa and not Rini did not escape my notice, I did it on purpose, as I did all of the other points you stated on purpose as well, it's my story, and I've always hated that it was Chibi-usa when there was a Usagi and her claiming to be her mother, and I hated the fact that she had pink hair and red eyes, can we say ew? If you'll also notice, I changed her hair color too... She is after all a product of a dark haired gentleman and a blond woman, who both have blue eyes. My stories- my physical characteristics. (I changed Usagi in one of my stories to have green eyes... just because I was sick of the whole blue meets blue concept at the time). I also point you back to my first AN in Ch.1.

So thank you for your thoughtful review, it's not changing though.

All of you other reviewers, please come back, as I realize it's been forever since an update, and I'm sorry, I haven't forgotten about you! Please don't have forgotten about me! So the chapter:

* * *

Ikuko knew there were issues going on between her daughter and son-in-law and she was powerless to do anything about it. She also knew Usagi was too proud to ask for the help even if she could do anything. Daughters were selfish that way, Ikuko knew she had been too, knowing the mother would always be there to support her, knowing that love was unconditional. However the daughter was sometimes interested in the knowledge the mother had to part otherwise the generations each thought themselves so different from those before and those that came after, each thought they were the best, the purest, the right.

Ikuko knew it, yet she couldn't change any of that either, but she was at least happy that her daughter depended on her for support, wanted it and knew her mother was such a good soul as to always be there.

Ikuko was proud to fulfill that role, and so, she offered yet again to take care of Rini for a night and while she knew her daughter was tempted to relieve that burden for awhile, she also knew that she couldn't, that it wouldn't make any difference.

So Usagi declined her mother's help, knowing some day, she too would be in that position to help her daughter Rini with her children.

Usagi knew what nobody would tell her to her face. She knew the possibility of having more children may very well be impossible. She knew because when Chibi-chibi had come to visit, Usagi had asked Setsuna if she was possibly her child as well, Setsuna shook her head and told Usagi, and Usagi alone that she'd only have one daughter and Chibi-chibi wasn't it.

Usagi saddened by that memory crawled into bed and didn't even wait for Mamoru's return before she fell asleep. Mamoru came in and looked down at her, a feeling of grief washed over him, they were splitting apart and they shouldn't be, they loved each other too much to do something so stupid. Eventually they needed to talk, but until then, he'd just continue to support her quietly.

He didn't know that Usagi was already thinking ahead to when she could send Rini into the past, then at least she'd get to know her mother and the love and warmth she could share upon her, and the time devoted she really needed. Usagi or rather Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo was depressed that her own daughter was going to feel neglected otherwise. She was a horrible parent.

She shouldn't even be allowed to have another child, and no doubt that was the point Setsuna was trying to get across very clearly. Or perhaps she was trying to warn Usagi in her own way that Mamoru would stop desiring her, and actually end up being completely indifferent to her after her first child because she failed so miserably with her. That she wasn't strong enough or good enough to bare any more of his children and he didn't even want to test the possibility. She was so weak she needed her friends and senshi to take over the midnight shift.

She tossed and turned and cried out in her sleep all night. Mamoru gathered her close and whispered sweet tidings in her ear and she seemed to settle and clung to him without ever giving the appearance that she was waking up.

Mamoru frowned, he wondered if she was remembering something bad that had happened or if she was sensing an impeding evil, she had a tendency to do that if someone was hurt, she'd feel a bad vibe if she knew the person or if it was close.

The last thing Mamoru needed right now was another enemy. They knew they had one enemy yet to face, after they became King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo it was kind of obvious to Mamoru that in the past they had saved their future selves which would be current day sooner than later and he wasn't looking forward to a repeat in known history.

Mamoru held her close as they slept, but in the morning he woke before her and after a feather light kiss to the temple, he slipped out of bed and got to work. His first agenda was to find Ami, but today she still eluded him, and since it wasn't an emergency, he didn't push the issue.

Usagi woke an hour later to find the bed cooling where Mamoru had once lain and she stretched before sliding out of bed as well. It took her a little longer to get ready and once she did, she smiled; she was going to have a no work, couple of hours with the girls. She needed it and she missed them despite seeing them most of the day every day. They had become too serious in their day-to-day tasks. They used to goof off and have fun while still accomplishing everything they wanted to get done and then do some really fun stuff while off of work.

They spent part of the day together transgressing back to their normal selves but when their time together ended, Usagi hoped they'd remain lighthearted, it was getting increasingly difficult to be the only one who wasn't serious all the time, but she pulled Ami off to the side and asked her to stop the friendship for a moment and answer her truthfully as her doctor.

* * *

EAN: This was totally not where I was intending to leave you, but as it's been awhile, and I keep intending to write more for this story, I figured I could give you what I have, (and like) up to this point. I have drafts for Ami/Usa convo, but none yet fit my story or where I am intending to go with this. I kind of like the cliffhanger though, but the only thing I really apologize for is that it's so short... Sorry!


End file.
